Ranking Republican Doc Hastings (R-WA) Next week the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, which gives the people of Puerto Rico the opportunity to vote on their political future including the possibility of becoming America’s 51st state.  Officially, the… Read more »

Click here to watch Congressman Seeks to Expand EPA's Control of Water FOX News April 21, 2010 Brian Wilson A Democratic congressman is seeking to strip the word "navigable" from the 1972 Clean Water Act to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to surpass the limits imposed by a 2001 Supreme Court ruling on the kinds of waterways the agency can regulate. That word typically… Read more »

Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act.  This bill would authorize a federally sanctioned plebiscite (vote) of the Puerto Rican people regarding their political future. The bill mandates a two-step voting process.  The first vote would allow the people of Puerto Rico to choose between selecting a “different political… Read more »

The House Natural Resources Committee’s Republican website has been recognized by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) for having one of the best websites in Congress.  CMF analyzed all 620 congressional websites, including those of all Senate and House Members, committees (both majority and minority sites), and official leadership sites.  The Republican’s House… Read more »

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Forests, Parks and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on the bipartisan Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (H.R. 4888). The Subcommittee heard from multiple cabin owner witnesses who expressed real need for the legislation, which will correct volatile and skyrocketing cabin fees by establishing a fair, sustainable fee system. “Many of… Read more »

On Thursday, April 22nd the National Parks, Forest and Public Lands Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on the bipartisan Cabin Fee Act of 2010 (H.R. 4888) to establish a fair, predictable fee-setting system for families who own cabins in our National Forests. The bill was introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) and has 13 co-sponsors,… Read more »

Claim: “Collaborative work between DOI staff and DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has allowed for border security infrastructure to be strategically located, including on federal lands, to meet DHS security requirement and goals.” (Deseret News, 4/14/10) Fact: While some… Read more »

Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings and Committee Republicans released the following statements after Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) announced legislation to dramatically increase the scope of the Clean Water Act, bringing nearly every body of water - from irrigation canals, small ponds to seasonal mud-puddles - under the unlimited… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04), National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop (UT-01) and 16 additional Republican Members of Congress today sent a letter to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service opposing the views expressed in a letter from House Democrats requesting that the Forest Service manage Recommended… Read more »

Securing the border is the first priority Washington Examiner Editorial April 19, 2010 A feud between the Departments of the Interior and Homeland Security over federal wilderness areas that constitute 40 percent of the nation's southern border has been undermining the mission of both agencies for nearly a decade. This adolescent refusal to cooperate threatens the security of all… Read more »